What is Kiteboarding (Kitesurfing)

January 28, 2017

What is kiteboarding?

Kiteboarding, also known as kitesurfing, it’s an extreme sport and an adventure sport that allows you to surf via the use of a kite. You just have to get a kite and get on a special surfboard designed for this sport. Once you are ready, the wind will push your kite, and thus you will be propelled onward.

In order to perform Kiteboarding, you will need to have a harness that connects to your mid-section. The reason why you need a harness is rather simple; this is where you have the lines and bars needed to control the kite.

Depending on the type of kite you use and the way you flow it, sometimes you may even get the opportunity to jump very high into the air. Beginners can jump a few feet into the air, but some professionals can go up to 60 feet or more into the air.

Obviously, Kiteboarding is an extreme sport, and it’s suitable mostly for people that want more than the regular surfing experience. It’s a good idea to try surfing before you go kitesurfing because it will allow you to get the basics rolling. Sure, this is not required, but it can be advantageous.

Kiteboarding benefits

Why should you become a kiteboarder, are there any benefits that you can harness from this activity? Believe it or not, there are quite a lot of health benefits that you can get from being a kitesurfer, and here you have some of the best!

You get to boost your concentration and tone your body. This will especially tone your abdomen, arms and the upper area

Kitesurfing boosts your happiness levels; it also allows you to lower the stress levels!

You have the opportunity to increase concentration and coordination!

When you kitesurf, you have the ability to keep a balanced weight

Your reflexes and the reaction capacity as a whole gets a whole lot better

Aside from these health benefits, you also get the unique opportunity to boost your communication as you get to interact with people that are passionate about Kiteboarding. You can also find out where you can acquire the latest equipment pieces like a kiteboarding kite for example. You also have the unique opportunity to foster a relationship of respect with oceans in general!

Why should you kiteboard?

The primary reason why people kiteboard comes from the unique sense of freedom offered by this spot. It’s unlike any other sport that you have ever tried, and it’s surely something you will like to try more and more all the time. You can get good at kitesurfing without that much of a problem; you don’t even have to purchase the latest and most expensive equipment to do it. That’s what makes kiteboarding so nice to begin with, the fact that it has a low entry level, yet it can help you boost your emotional state, and it can even bring you a sense of happiness.

As we mentioned above, Kiteboarding also brings in some mental benefits. It makes it very easy for you to boost your concentration and these skills can be very useful in the day to day life as well. Then you also have the opportunity to stay healthy and work out in a very distinct, fun manner. Plus, you have the opportunity to choose where you go, how you kiteboard, what kitesurfing kite you use and so on.

Speaking of getting a good kiteboarding kite, you will see that most kiteboarders tend to opt for the C kites. Why does that happen? These are great for beginners and inexpensive, but you won’t be able to acquire an excellent performance with them. This is why it’s a much better idea to get the SLE kitesurfing kite or the bow kite. These are offering you a higher quality wind range and results are more than impressive due to that reason alone.

Do you need an instructor if you want to start Kiteboarding?

Although it may seem very easy to learn how to kiteboard, the reality is that you do need to have a good instructor with you at all times. Finding the right balance, knowing how to control the kite and what equipment you need to use are all things that you will be able to learn from a dedicated instructor. So, you should definitely work with an instructor if you want to get the best results.

Is the Kitesurfing equipment expensive?

It depends on where you get it and what equipment you want in the first place. Usually, you will just need the board, kite, and harness (which may come as a package, depending on where you purchase them). It’s a good idea to talk with a professional and ask for some guidance when you get your Kiteboarding equipment, especially when it comes to finding the right kite. Even if most of them appear similar, the performance you receive will differ, and that’s what you want to keep in mind!

What discipline should you master?

There are multiple Kiteboarding disciplines that you can opt for, and each one of them has a broad range of interesting mechanics and features. It’s a good idea to check out as many as you can before you master a single one of them. This way you get to try out everything before you make the right pick!

Wave riding is all about riding a very large surf with help from a directional board

Big air is a discipline focused on jumping and doing some amazing air tricks.

Freestyle is simple and great for anyone, including beginners. Everything goes here, so you are free to choose what you want to do and how you enjoy your Kiteboarding experience.

Wake style is a discipline that focuses mostly on aerials and tricks, and it requires a special wake style board that also has bindings. It may or may not include some ramps, depending on the situation.

Course racing is a very popular discipline that requires multiple kitesurfers to race each other until they reach the finish line.

Speed is a discipline focused on mastering a specific course and getting the fastest time

Downwinders requires you to go some long distances downwind

Airstyle, which is also known as OldSchool is all about getting some sick jumps while also doing tricks like sliding, board offs and so on.

As you can see, Kiteboarding is an amazing adventure sport that brings a broad range of health benefits and impressive results. If you want to stay healthy and fit, but you also have a passion for adventure, you should consider Kiteboarding, as it’s one of those activities that can help you remove stress and enjoy life unlike never before. Once you get your board and kite, you get to be in an entirely new world full of opportunities and nothing can replace this feeling! That’s what makes Kiteboarding unique and why you should consider giving it a shot right now!